


The Way Life Should Be

by catzdoe



Series: A New Life, Above Ground [2]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Fallout 4 - Freeform, Far Harbor, Part 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-14 23:19:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10546038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catzdoe/pseuds/catzdoe
Summary: Part 2 of "A New Life, Above Ground" starts with Orin's visit to Far Harbor, an irradiated island far to the north of the Commonwealth.  Here, she faces new people and trials that will force her and her radscorpion, Radcliff, to depend on each other more than ever.  Everything seems like it's going well, except with a few reservations about Acadia.  But when an accident fatally wounds Radcliff, and the Children of Atom offer a solution with terrible consequences, what will Orin do?





	1. Safe Passage

Orin was speechless; she didn't have anything to say except gawk at the figure in front of her... Who also looked a little familiar.

"Surprising, isn't it?"  DiMA asked, almost smiling as he placed his hands together.  "I probably look like nothing you've ever seen before."

"No, no, I..."  She took a better look at him, and finally made the connection with his face.  "You look like Nick Valentine, but... So much different.  I've never seen synths like you before."

"Ah, dear Nick."  DiMA nodded.  "Yes, he and I are brothers.  We were the prototypes the Institute used when they were new with the idea of programmable personality.  We were what allowed you to become... you.  All of these upgrades are mine, however."

There were so many modules and wires coming out of DiMA, he looked more like an alien than synth.  His outer plastic "skin" was missing and broken in many areas, but he still shared many traits with Nick.  His eyes, hands, and skin were the same, but that was about how much they shared.  Their personalities couldn't be more different.

"I thought you were going to send a representative."  Orin quickly changed the subject.

"Yes, but you are the first synth who's ever questioned Acadia."  DiMA put his fingers together, thinking while he spoke.  "Usually, many synths are eager to escape this cruel world we were forced into, and blindly accept any sanctuary that would give them a little solitude.  You, however, questioned that safety.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with that; it truly is great to have a change in pace once in a while.  So, I wanted to meet you face to face.  And now I see.  You are already tough, molded by the harshness of this world ever since you lost the only home you knew.  And you've made new friends, as well."  He said, gesturing towards Radcliff.  "I would like you to come to Acadia, just to see what it's like.  And of course, if you don't like it, we won't force you to stay."

Orin nodded.  "I came this far, I might as well visit."

"I agree."  DiMA nodded, beginning to walk away.  "Please, follow me.  We will take a boat there."

Orin and DiMA walked silently through the ruins, Orin lagging just a few steps behind the other just as a precaution.  She still didn't fully trust DiMA, even though he seemed to be rather kind and selfless.  DiMA had a personality unlike anyone Orin had ever met, and she didn't know if that was a good thing.

After walking for a while, they finally reached a beach with a small harbor jutting out into the water.  There was a fishing boat tethered to the harbor, which the two of them climbed into.  Radcliff did as well, but hissed when he tried to head into the steering room.  Orin reached for her laser rifle, ready to fire.

"Do not fret."  DiMA said, quickly stepping in front of Orin and putting his hand on the barrel of her rifle.  "This is one of my closest associate, Chase."

"Why is she wearing a Courser outfit?"  Orin asked, now on edge more than ever.  Radcliff was ready to shank the next person who moved with his stinger.

"I was a Courser before I left the Institute."  The woman quickly said, remaining calm.  "I met DiMA on a mission, and knew that what he was right.  I left the Institute soon after."

"She came just

Orin lowered her rifle and calmed Radcliff down before sitting next to him on the boat.  Chase started the automated steering mechanism for it, and they rode off into the distance.

* * *

It was maybe an hour before the boat began to slow down.  Orin stood when she saw lights in the distance, and was amazed at the change in scenery.

Shrouded in a dense fog, the Island of Far Harbor sat ominously before her.

The boat slowed at the harbor, and stopped so the three of them and Radcliff could climb out.  They were greeted by two people; a woman and man.  The man was bearded, wearing a beanie with overalls and boots, and had a hefty assault rifle in hand.  The woman had short white hair and was wearing a black vest and white collar top with military green trousers.

"Shit, Cap!  Radscorpion!"  The man shouted as soon as he saw Radcliff.

"You lower that gun right now."  Orin threatened, pointing her own laser rifle at the man.  "If you want to shoot him, you shoot me first."

"Lower your gun, Allen."  The woman lowered the man's rifle with her hand.  "If it's not hurting us, we won't hurt it."  She turned towards Orin.  "Sorry for such a rude greeting.  I'm Captain Avery.  This is Allen Lee."

"I'm Orin."  She said with a stern nod, tucking her rifle away on her backpack.

"Welcome back, DiMA."  Avery said, smiling at him.

"Thank you, Avery."  He said with a nod, taking off the cloak.  Orin took a look at his entire body now; with missing parts and occasionally held together with tape.  He really was a marvel of technology.

"Brooks said he needed to talk to you when you came back, too."  Avery said, and walked off as someone called her name.  Allen walked off after giving Orin a hard stare, as if to say, "you better not mess with me."

"I will be with you in a moment."  DiMA said, heading to a vendor stand.  "You can wait for me with Chase at the Wall."

As they parted ways for a moment, Orin decided to take up the opportunity to find out more about Far Harbor.

"What is this fog?  It's a lot heavier than the Commonwealth."  Orin said, looking around the harbor.  Everything was under its veil; nobody could see the horizon.

"The people here refer to it simply as, 'the Fog.'"  Chase said, crossing her arms.  She glanced back at DiMA, who had just walked through a door.  "It's radioactive, but not like your usual radiation.  People go crazy in the fog.  It's like becoming a ghoul without looking like one.  The creatures that live in it too, they're strong.  A lot of people who go into it never come out."

After a few minutes of waiting, DiMA returned to them.

"Let us go to Acadia."  He said with a smile.

They began their trek through the fog.  DiMA was surprisingly agile, even with all those attachments.  They moved quickly, but Orin could feel the fog slowly begin to take hold of her mind.  Mysterious roars echoed in the dense forest, huge figures disappearing into the fog, the feeling that something was always watching them.  Despite that, Orin did her best to stay focused and make sure that Radcliff was following close behind.  Radcliff's off-white exterior provided extra camouflage against the fog.

As they were beginning the climb up a hill, three dogs suddenly jumped out at the group from the bushes.  Orin could feel the effects of radiation poisoning begin to grip her, just like it had when she first came to the surface.  But it wasn't too bad yet, and with the help of Radcliff and Chase was able to defend themselves, and DiMA, from the creatures.  And so they continued.

Finally, the fog lightened up and in front of them stood a large, cement dome.  Many people were waiting at the top of the stairs, near the gate.

"Get some RadAway for them."  DiMA quickly told the crowd.  Within seconds, they were handed IV bags with "RadAway" written crudely across the label area.  Orin had never seen it before, but watched Chase as she simply ingested it.  So Orin did the same.

"Orin."  DiMA said, turning towards her.  "This is the place I very much wanted you to visit.

"Welcome to Acadia."


	2. Acadian Ideals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orin tours Acadia, but is interrupted by a surprise visit.

Acadia was a giant, cement domes surrounded by wooden fences. The Fog wasn't here either, which was rather nice. Once the synths at the door had greeted DiMA, Orin followed him inside.

"Thank goodness you're back!"  A man in a lab coat said when they walked through the door.  "Let's run some diagnostics just to make sure you're okay."

"Orin, this is Faraday.  He takes care of all the technology that makes Acadia... Acadia."  DiMA said as he followed Faraday through a door.  "Chase, could you please ask one of them to give Orin a tour?"

Chase simply nodded and walked off through a door, leaving Orin and Radcliff to wander around that floor for a bit.  Going forward, they entered a large circular room filled with computers and displays.  DiMA was sitting in a chair and Faraday was connecting various wires to the modules on DiMA.

"Excuse me, are you the new arrival?"

Orin turned on her heel and was met with another person, presumably a synth.  He wore a blue jumpsuit with a bright red collar, and had a shaggy beard.

"I'm just here for a tour... For now."  Orin said quickly, still unsure as to whether or not she'd stay here.

"Oh, okay.  It would be great to have another face here.  I'm Cog, by the way."  He said with a smile.  "Is this radscorpion... your's?"  He asked uneasily, looking down at Radcliff.

Orin smiled and nodded, crouching down next to the albino scorpion.  "Yes.  I promise he won't attack you.  He likes being pet right here...  Go on, give him a pat."

Cog stepped slowly towards Radcliff, holding his hand out to the scorpion.  DiMA and Faraday watched.  Cog pulled his hand back for only a moment when he felt it touch the tough surface of Radcliff, but he went back in and began to pet it.  Radcliff made soft clicking sounds.

"See, not so bad, right?"  Orin said with a small laugh.  "I wouldn't recommend petting all radscorpions like this, though."

"Yeah, no kidding."  Cog said with a relieved laugh, standing up straight again.  DiMA and Faraday continued whatever they were doing.

"Okay, I guess we'll start the tour up here."  Cog said, putting his hands on his hips and staring at the displays.  "This is the computer room... More like the computer floor.  Synths have the opportunity to wipe their memory of their previous life, and this is where its done.  This is also where DiMA keeps a lot of his memories."

"Memories?"

"DiMA is, relatively speaking, still a machine."  Faraday interrupted as he tended to DiMA.  Unlike us, he has a limited amount of storage, and since he's been alive for so long he's needed places to store memories he can spare to put somewhere else."

"Yes, but memories are a precious thing."  DiMA suddenly said, opening his glowing eyes.  Faraday looked a little uncomfortable, but continued what he was doing.  "If you do decide to stay with us, you can opt for a memory wipe.  But I strongly recommend you keep your memories... It lets you know who you are."

Both Cog and Faraday now looked a little uncomfortable.

"Okay, well, let's continue downstairs."  Cog said, leading Orin down a flight of stairs near the entrance.

They entered another circular room, except this one was lit with candlelight and had many shelves and beds lining the walls.  There were many other people down here, but they were only concerned with the fact Radcliff was in the room.

"What in the hell is a radscorpion doing in here?!"  One of them shouted as they brandished a rifle.  Orin was quick to do the same with her laser rifle.

"If you shoot him, I'll pull the trigger."  She threatened.  "I have good aim."

"Settle down!"

Chase quickly came running into the room.

"The radscorpion is doing none of us harm."  She said.  "As long as it doesn't hurt us, we won't hurt it.  Simple as that."

The other synths seemed rather uncomfortable, but silently agreed.  Orin slid her rifle back in its place as well.  Even if she was a guest, she wasn't about to let anybody threaten one of her only friends.

"This is the floor we all sleep on."  Cog said, quickly changing the subject.  They walked past another room.  "I run a little shop back there... If you ever need anything, I might have it.  I've always wanted to be a trader.  And here is the med bay.  Aster can help and heal you or you can buy medical supplies from her."

They went down the last flight of stairs.

"And this is the generator and storage area."  He said as he turned to Orin.  "So... Have you decided whether or not you're staying here?"

Orin shook her head.  "No.  I'm just... Not sure yet."  The truth was, she didn't want to be entering something like the Institute again, and while it was the only home she knew, the more she looked back on it the more she realized it was flawed.  Everybody being kept in the dark and being told it was a sanctuary and they should be lucky they're safe.  Acadia sounded a lot like that... but DiMA was one of the selfless people she'd ever met.  But in DiMA's effort to create a paradise with his vast, electronic library of knowledge, he'd end up creating more problems than fixing them.

"Cog!"  Someone shouted from upstairs.  "He's here!"

"Who's here?"  Orin asked quickly.

"Sh, we're not supposed to know."  Cog said quickly.  He went upstairs, and Orin quickly followed.

All the synths were gathered on the second floor, whispering to themselves.  They looked at Orin and Radcliff as they came up.

"I know!"  Said one of the female synths.  "Make her go up."  She pointed at Orin.

"Hm..."  The synths thought in unison, and all eventually agreed.  "They wouldn't think much of it... Since she would be heading out anyway."

"Who is up there?"  Orin asked again.

"Come back and tell us what happened, okay?"  Cog said, giving her a gentle push.

Orin had no idea what was happening, but if it was enough to arouse the interest of the synths living here, she figured it would be rather important.

Heading up the stairs, she walked into the computer area to find DiMA speaking to somebody who was... oddly dressed.  The man had a figurine on his head and was wearing raggedy, loose fitting clothes.  A gamma gun was on his waist.

"Confessor Tektus."  DiMA said, offering his hand.  "Thank you for meeting with me."

"Yes, I've received some terrible news I would like to speak to you about."  Confessor Tektus said, shaking the synth's hand.  "But who is this?  Another addition to the family?"  They both turned towards Orin.

"Ah, Orin."  DiMA said.  "No, she is visiting for now.  She is from the Commonwealth."

"Ah, I see!"  The Confessor said.  "And look at this!  She has befriended one of Atom's creatures.  She must be quite the person."

Confessor Tektus put Orin on edge.  Something about him was just... off.

"I would be glad to show you the Nucleus.  Please, do not hesitate to come and enlighten yourself with the word of Atom.  We will welcome you with open arms."  Tektus said.

Orin just nodded uneasily.

"Confessor, what did you want to speak about?"  DiMA suddenly asked Tektus.

That was a welcome sign for Orin to leave, which she did gladly.  She headed outside and gazed at the horizon, which was getting lighter with the rising sun.  She and Radcliff went down the stairs and to a ledge, where they sat and watching the sunrise quietly.  The heavy fog enveloped the trees below the observatory, and the sounds of many animals echoed through the ominous air.  Orin took a deep breath of the sharp, morning air and patted Radcliff, who was curled up next to her.  As she placed her backpack and weapons next to her, she yawned and sleepiness overtook her body.  She rest her head on Radcliff's scaly body, gazing up at the light blue sky and the streaks of orange that went through it.

It must have been a few hours when Orin's eyes fluttered back open, and the sun was warm and beginning to beat down on the island.  She sat up, and Radcliff was making clicking noises; he must be hungry.  Orin dug through her bag and pulled out two cans of Cram, opening the luncheon meat and shaking the food out in front of the scorpion, who gobbled it up happily.  She helped herself to some Sugar Bombs, which had an odd bitterness to it but overall, was sugary and crunchy.

"Let's head back inside."  She said softly to Radcliff, standing up and stretching with her arms above her head.  She hoisted her backpack up and began to head back inside to Acadia when she was met at the door by Confessor Tektus and two, intimidating looking guards.  The guards had intricate patterns of black paint around their eyes and on their faces.

"Ah, Orin, was it?"  He said, extending his arms in exclamation.  "How convenient it is we meet here!  Come, the Zealots and I shall lead you back to the Nucleus."

"With all due respect, Great Confessor, this woman isn't even part of the family."  Said the man with him.

"Nonsense, Zealot Richter.  We will show her the ways of the Family.  Atom invites everyone into his home."  Tektus took another look at Orin and Radcliff.  "Besides, she could become a Zealot like you all here.  She seems rather tough."

As they began to walk away, Orin looked at Radcliff then back at Acadia.  She saw DiMA standing outside for a moment before he disappeared back inside.

One sanctuary down, one to go.


End file.
